Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Taking Solace

"Coolness in the Heat"

- triple digit desert days -

We have arrived at the season where the daily temperatures soar
up into the triple digits out here in the desert, making it virtually impossible
to do much if any hiking on the wilderness trails. In these hot desert days I
find myself gravitating to a nearby town park – a truly wonderful “green space”
in the midst of the dry desert wilderness, lots of shade trees, an small artificial
pond and a rather elaborate waterfall. When
the weather gets unbearable I love to sit under the shade trees in that park and
bask in the sights and sounds of the cool, refreshing water flowing over the
rocks.

Last Sunday, the Christian church celebrated the Feast of
Pentecost, recalling the time after Jesus' death and resurrection when his
frightened disciples gathered together wondering what to do now that Jesus was
gone away. As those disciples “gathered together” the Holy Spirit emerged in
their midst and they realized that the abiding Spirit of the living God would
always be “intimately” with them even in the worst of times when life seemed
most confusing.

Yesterday as the temperature reached 110 degrees, I went to
the park and sat in front of that stream flowing in the wilderness, recalling the
words of an ancient Pentecost hymn.It
refers to God as a “Holy Comforter” who is:

Cool Refreshment in the heat,

Solace in the midst of woe.

I really love this image of “God” as a comforting presence -
solace and refreshment in the midst of the heat and chaos of the everyday
world.

Many non-religious people claim that religion or a spiritual
path is little more than an “escape route” out of the reality of
everyday living. While I also believe that a spiritual path “can”
push followers to “bury their heads in the sand” while ignoring the sometime harsh
realities of life, I also believe that a spiritual path can be a means of finding
solace and refreshment (not escape) while living in the middle of the heat and
turmoil of life.

In the Buddhist tradition there are three “solaces” which
followers are urged so seek along the spiritual path. In fact, at the ordination
ceremony for Buddhist monks, a newly-professed monk proclaims his or her
willingness to embrace these solaces as they announce:

I take solace in the Buddha

I take solace in the teachings
(the Dharma)

I take solace in my community of
fellow monks (the Sangha)

It seems to me that there is a universality to these “solaces”
that can be applied to most any religious or spiritual path, able to be embraced by anyone
on the road to enlightenment and deeper wisdom.

We can all take solace in the Abiding Energy of Love, a Holy
Unifying Presence in a world that seems so frenzied and torn apart.We can also take solace in the teachings
about compassion and kindness inherent
in all our many traditions and we can take solace in other sorts of “teachings”
by seeking out uplifting music, inspired art and poetry that lift us up out of
the gutter into which so much of life today seems to have fallen. And yes, indeed,
we can take solace in our fellow pilgrims who walk along with us on the journey
as we cheer each other on and carry one another’s burdens on the way.

It’s supposed to be another scorcher out here today. I
definitely plan on another trip to the waterfall in the local park. I certainly
can’t make the heat go away but I can find “coolness in the heat and solace in
the midst of woe.”

About Me

I am a teacher, a writer, and a spiritual guide. I am an ordained Episcopal Priest and hold degrees in theology, philosophy, and communication. I am particularly interested in the common spiritual insights which the many various world religions share with one another.

My wife and I live in the beautiful desert in the Coachella Valley of Southern California.